1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of audiovisual recording. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for making an archival copy of a plurality of recorded audiovisual programs.
2. Background
Since the advent of home video recorders in the 1970s, video-recording devices have become commonplace. Such devices are often used to “time shift” television programs for viewing at a later time. Whether or not the recorded programs are viewed soon after being broadcast, many people like to keep the recorded programs for an extended period of time. With a videocassette recorder (VCR), this is easily accomplished by simply keeping a library of videocassettes with desired programs.
Digital video recorders (DVRs) that utilize a non-removable magnetic disk recording medium, also referred to as a hard disk drive (HDD), are rapidly growing in popularity. Keeping an archival copy of a program recorded on a DVR is somewhat more problematic than in the case of a VCR. Since the fixed disk has a finite recording capacity, only a limited number of programs may be permanently stored. One solution is to make archival copies of recordings on another recording medium, such as a videocassette. Digital video disk (DVD) recorders have recently become available, which permit higher quality archival copies of recorded programs. Consumer electronics devices are now available that combine a DVR and a DVD recorder.
Television viewers often desire to keep archival copies of related programs, such as successive episodes of a TV series. If the viewer wishes to fully utilize the storage capacity of a recordable DVD, the viewer would have to calculate the aggregate length of programs that have been temporarily stored on a DVR and then assemble the programs for recording onto the DVD. This can be a tedious process, and, therefore, a need exists for a user-interface that will simplify the process.
DVDs and other archival storage media may be more efficiently used if unwanted portions of the recorded programs are omitted before the archival copy is made. For example, a typical one hour television program that is broadcasted in prime time is actually only about forty minutes in length, the remaining time comprising commercial messages, announcements, previews and other non-program material. The effective storage capacity of a DVD can be increased by approximately fifty percent if such non-program material is omitted (e.g., a two hour DVD could store three edited one hour programs instead of two unedited programs). Apart from the savings in storage media, it is well documented that most viewers prefer to view programs without commercial interruptions.